A protester walks down Fourth Street during a protest over the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Saturday, May 30, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. Breonna Taylor, a black woman, was fatally shot by police in her home in March. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
By Rebecca Reynolds Yonker and Bruce Schreiner
Updated 1:51 pm ET
Louisville's mayor said Friday that one of three police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor will be fired.
Mayor Greg Fischer said interim Louisville police Chief Robert Schroeder has started termination proceedings for Officer Brett Hankison. Two other officers remain on administrative reassignment while the shooting is investigated.
Fischer said officials could not answer questions about the firing because of state law. He referred all questions to the Jefferson County attorney's office.
Taylor, who was black, was shot eight times by officers who burst into her Louisville home using a no-knock warrant during a March 13 narcotics investigation. No drugs were found at her home.
A letter the chief sent to Hankison said the officer violated standard operating procedures when he "wantonly and blindly fired 10 rounds into the apartment of Breonna Taylor."
The letter says he fired the rounds "without supporting facts" that the deadly force was directed at a person posing an immediate threat.
"In fact, the 10 rounds you fired were into a patio door and window which were covered with material that completely prevented you from verifying any person as an immediate threat or more importantly any innocent persons present," the letter states.
"I find your conduct a shock to the conscience," Schroeder said in the letter. "Your actions have brought discredit upon yourself and the Department."
Sam Aguiar, an attorney for Taylor's family said the move was overdue.
"It's about damn time. It should have happened a long time ago, but thankfully it's at least happening now," Aguiar said. "This is an officer that's plagued our streets and made this city worse for over a dozen years. ... Let's hope that this is a start to some good, strong criminal proceedings against Officer Hankison, because he definitely deserves to at least be charged."
The warrant to search Taylor's home was in connection with a suspect who did not live there. Police used a "no-knock" search warrant, which allows them to enter without first announcing their presence. Louisville's Metro Council recently voted to ban the use of no-knock warrants.
The release in late May of a 911 call by Taylor's boyfriend marked the beginning of days of protests in Louisville, fueled by Taylor's death and the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
"This really confirms why the family has been calling for justice for Breonna Taylor. It's undisputable evidence," said Christopher 2X, an anti-violence activist in Louisville.
Beyonce recently joined the call for charges against the officers involved in Taylor's shooting. The superstar said in a letter to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron that the three Louisville police officers "must be held accountable for their actions."
Student loan debt continues to be a major concern for tens of millions of Americans who collectively owe about $1.7 trillion. Black college students often take on larger amounts of student debt in order to pay for a higher education. In turn, they are more likely to struggle post-graduation with repaying their debt, creating a racial wealth gap divide. Andre Perry, senior fellow at Brookings Institution joined All Hands to help break down the black student debt crisis.
BTS’ hit single “Butter” tops the zeitgeist again, bumping back up to number one on Billboard’s Hot Trending Chart. The chart tracks what songs people are talking about rather than what they're listening to.
The American Red Cross has declared its first-ever "national blood crisis" in the United States. Since COVID hit the U.S. in March 2020, blood donations have declined by 10 percent. American Red Cross Medical Director, Dr. Baia Lasky joined Cheddar News to discuss the country facing the worst blood shortage in over a decade. Dr. Lasky noted that as much as 40 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood but only about 4 percent do so. "This is going to be ongoing," she said. "This is not an acute shortage. We really do need the commitment of people to come out and donate and donate again." Appointments to donate can be made by using the Red Cross Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
On this episode of ChedHER: Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE breaks down how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses; AYO Foods Co-Founder discusses how the brand is bringing West African cuisine to the frozen food industry and building a grocery aisle her daughters can be proud of; Chief Marketing & Customer Experience Officer at Chase Auto talks her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry, and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
Renée Horne, chief marketing and customer experience officer at Chase Auto, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience being a woman of color in the auto industry and why transportation is so important to financial freedom.
Perteet Spencer, Co-Founder of AYO Foods, joins ChedHER to discuss how the brand is bringing West African cuisine to the frozen food industry and building a grocery aisle her daughters can be proud of.
Crystal Etienne, Founder and CEO of period apparel company Ruby Love and Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience bootstrapping her company to $10 million, and how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses.
